VMH for 2025 is up and running!
Hellooooo 😄
Over the past few weeks, I’ve added a few projects from 2024 to the catalogue. One of my favourites is ‘Hivemind‘, a really elegantly designed virtual focus room that uses various strategies to support focus, attention but also connection.
I remember the moment specifically, in the design studio, where the group described their idea to me and I was sold already, even before seeing anything. I’ve set myself the goal of having a chat with someone at my current university about what it would mean to try and build it.
There are a few more 2024 projects that I still have to load, but this post is actually about the 2025 cohort.
On Wednesday 9th of April, I visited UniSA to speak to the 2025 cohort of Communication Design. I told them about Visualising Mental Health and presented the ‘brief’ for 2025.
In previous years we’ve offered students a few different topics to choose from. But this year we are trying something new.
The goal of VMH has always been to take useful empirical and clinical insights about psychology and mental health and explore ways to communicate them more effectively.
A couple of years back, I learned of some really nice work coming out of a crew at Macquarie University, who run the MindSpot website. It is called The Big 5.
The Big 5 is a set of (surprise, surprise) 5 regular practices that have been shown to predict and support good mental health.
Regularly engaging in these activities can significantly improve mental well-being and resilience.
The Big 5 activities are:
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Meaningful Activities: These activities give us a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, or joy, and can be as simple as listening to music or watching a good show.
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Healthy Thinking: This involves having realistic thoughts about ourselves, the world, and the future, as well as keeping perspective and treating ourselves with respect.
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Goals and Plans: Having goals and plans helps us stay motivated and energized, giving us something to look forward to and preventing us from dwelling on past problems.
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Healthy Routines: Routines we do automatically, like maintaining a sleep schedule, eating well, and being active, are critical for good mental health.
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Social Connections: Regular contact with people we love and respect, such as family, friends, or a community, helps us feel validated and gives us a sense of belonging.
Research indicates that performing these activities at least 3-4 times a week is associated with better mental health outcomes.
So. the student groups this year have been tasked with coming up with novel ways to communicate this information. They have received the brief (which anyone can view) and I’ll be seeing them a few times over the subsequent weeks to help them hone their ideas.
As with previous years, students are encouraged to experiment with all kinds of communication vehicles in the process. My hope is that I can take a few of the best ideas to the MindSpot team to inspire them to continue to promote this interesting research.
If you want to learn more about the Big 5 model, perhaps with the intention of gaining some insight into how to improve your own mental health, visit the website, do the quiz and access the educational materials they have already provided.
VMH is alive and well!!